L  CAPTURED 

ANTA  GLAUS 


-NRLF 


A  CAPTURED  SANTA  CLAUS 


er  Evelyn  he  bent  silently. 


A  CAPTURED 
SANTA  GLAUS 


BY 

THOMAS   NELSON   PAGE 


WITH   ILLUSTRATIONS   BTl 

W.   L.  JACOBS 


CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 
NEW  YORK::::::::::::::::::1902 


COPYKIOHT,  1891,  1902,  BT 

CHARLES  SCRTBNER'S  SONS 


Published,  October,  1902 


TROW  DIRECTORY 

PRINTING  AND  §OOK»INDINa  COMPANY 
NEW  YORK 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

I.   CHRISTMAS  AT  HOLLY  HILL     .     .     ;     .  1 

II.    MAJOR  STAFFORD  COMES  HOME    ...  7 

III.  MAJOR  STAFFORD  GETS  THE  CHRISTMAS 

PRESENTS     .     .     „ 13 

IV.  THE  BOYS  LEARN  SOMETHING  OF  WAR  23 
V.   THE  SPY .     .  37 

VI.    SANTA  GLAUS  PASSES  THE  LINES  ...  47 

VII.    BOB  SECURES  A  UNIFORM 58 

VIII.    SANTA  CLAUS  SURRENDERS 72 


M15570 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Over  Evelyn  he  bent  silently  ....    Frontispl 

Faci 
pa^ 

The  Major's  Christmas  presents 20 


Facing 
page 


Bob  trotted  around,  keeping  as  far  away  from 
the  camp-fires  as  possible 66 

"I'm  goin'   to  get  my  papa,"  said  the  tiny 
swordsman         .  ...  .78 


A  CAPTURED  SANTA  CLAUS 


CHRISTMAS   AT   HOLLY   HILL 

HOLLY  HILL  was  a  place  for  Christ 
mas  !  Holly  Hill,  the  old  rambling 
Stratford  homestead  in  Virginia,  on  its  high 
hill,  looking  down  the  long  slope  and  across 
the  wide  fields  to  the  far  woods  rimming 
the  sky.  From  Bob,  the  veteran,  within  a 
month  of  his  teens,  down  to  brown-eyed 
Evelyn,  with  her  golden  hair  floating  all 
around  her,  when  Christmas  came  everyone 
hung  up  a  stocking,  and  the  visit  of  Santa 
Claus  was  the  event  of  the  year. 

They   went  to   sleep    the   night    before 
Christmas — or  rather  they  went  to  bed,  for 

1 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   GLAUS 

sleep  was  long  far  from  their  bright  eyes— 
with  delightful  expectations  and  thrills 
along  their  backs,  and  with  little  squeakings 
and  gurglings,  like  so  many  little  white 
mice,  and  if  Santa  Glaus  had  not  always 
been  so  very  prompt  in  disappearing  up  the 
chimney  before  daybreak  he  must  certainly 
have  been  caught.  For  by  the  time  the 
chickens  were  crowing  in  the  morning  there 
would  be  an  answering  twitter  through  the 
house,  and  with  a  patter  of  little  feet  and 
subdued  laughter  small,  white-clad  figures 
would  steal  through  the  dim  light  of  dusky 
rooms  and  cold  passages,  opening  doors  with 
sudden  bursts,  and  shouting  "  Christmas 
gift ! "  into  darkened  chambers,  at  still 
sleeping  elders.  Then  they  would  scurry 
away  in  the  gray  light  to  rake  open  the 
hickory  embers  and  revel  in  the  exploration 
of  their  bulging,  overcrowded  stockings. 
Not  Columbus  was  to  be  envied  when  those 


CHRISTMAS  AT   HOLLY  HILL 

discoveries  were  being  made.  What  was  a 
new  world  to  those  treasures !  The  thrill 
of  the  new  jack-knife  remains  after  forty 
years — it  had  four  blades,  each  worth  a 
province.  Envy  Columbus  ?  Perish  the 
thought  1 

Such  was  Christmas  morning  at  Holly 
Hill  in  the  old  times  before  the  war — those 
times  of  Memory  and  Romance. 

Thus  it  was  that  at  Christmas,  1863, 
when  the  blockading  lines  were  drawn  close 
and  there  were  no  new  toys  to  be  had  for 
love  or  money,  there  were  much  disap 
pointment  and  some  murmurs  at  Holly 
Hill.  The  children  had  never  really  felt 
the  war  until  then,  though  their  father, 
Major  Stafford,  had  been  off,  first  with  his 
company  and  then  with  his  regiment,  since 
April,  1861.  War  was  on  the  whole  a 
pleasant  experience  to  the  boys — so  many 
strangers  came  by.  Battles  were  so  inter- 

3 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   GLAUS 

esting,  and  there  was  a  bare  chance  of  their 
seeing  one,  in  which  Bob  was  to  lead  a  charge 
and  capture  the  commanding  General. 

But  when  Christmas  came  and  there  were 
no  presents,  no  "real"  presents,  war  was 
realized.  It  was  a  terrible  thing.  From 
Mrs.  Stafford  down  to  little  tot  Evelyn 
there  was  an  absence  of  the  merriment 
which  Christmas  always  brought  with  it. 
The  children's  mother  had  done  all  she  could 
to  collect  such  presents  as  were  within  her 
reach,  but  the  youngsters  were  much  too 
sharp  not  to  know  that  the  presents  were 
"just  fixed  up";  and  when  they  were  all 
gathered  around  the  fire  in  their  mother's 
chamber  that  Christmas  morning,  looking 
over  their  presents,  their  little  faces  wore  an 
expression  of  pathetic  disappointment. 

"  I  don't  think  much  of  this  Christmas," 
announced  freckled  Ran,  with  characteristic 
gravity,  looking  down  on  his  poor  presents 

4 


CHRISTMAS   AT   HOLLY   HILL 

with  an  air  of  contempt.     "  A  hatchet,  a  lot 
of  old  nails,  and  a  hare-trap  aren't  much." 

Mrs.  Stafford  smiled,  but  the  smile  soon 
died  away  into  an  expression  of  sadness. 

"  I  too  have  to  do  without  my  Christmas 
gift,"  she  said.  "Your  father  wrote  me 
that  he  hoped  to  spend  Christmas  with  us, 
and  he  has  not  come.  He  has  been  ordered 
over  to  the  Potomac." 

"  Never  mind ;  he  may  come  yet,"  said 
Bob  encouragingly.  "  He  always  does  what 
he  says  he's  going  to  do."  (Bob  always  was 
encouraging.  That  was  why  he  was  "  Old 
Bob.")  "An  axe  was  just  the  thing  I 
wanted,  mamma,"  said  he,  shouldering  his 
new  possession  proudly  and  striking  the  at 
titude  of  a  woodman  striding  off.  "  Now  I 
can  make  an  abatis." 

Mrs.  Stafford's  face  lit  up  again.  He  was 
a  sturdy  boy,  with  wide-open  eyes  and  a 
good  mouth. 

5 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   GLAUS 

"And  a  hatchet  was  what  I  wanted," 
admitted  Ran,  affected  by  the  example. 
"Besides,  there  are  a  lot  of  nails — now  I 
can  make  my  own  hare-traps." 

"An'  I  like  a  broked  knife,"  asserted 
Charlie,  stoutly,  falling  valiantly  into  the 
general  movement,  while  Evelyn  pushed 
her  long  hair  out  of  her  eyes,  and  hugged 
her  patched-up  baby,  declaring  : 

"I  love  my  dolly,  and  I  love  Santa 
Tlaus,  an'  I  love  my  papa,"  at  which  her 
mother  took  the  little  midget  to  her  bosom, 
broken  doll  and  all,  and  hid  her  face  in  her 
tangled  curls. 


II 

MAJOR   STAFFORD   COMES   HOME 


end  of  that  Christmas  was  better 
JL  than  the  beginning.  Major  Stafford 
justified  Bob's  confidence.  The  holiday 
was  not  quite  over  when  one  evening  Major 
Stafford  galloped  up  to  the  gate  through 
the  mist,  his  black  horse,  Ajax,  splashed 
with  mud  to  his  ear-tips.  He  had  ridden 
him  seventy  miles  that  day  to  keep  that 
tryst.  The  Major  soon  heard  all  about  the 
little  ones'  disappointment  at  not  receiving 
any  new  presents. 

"  Santa  Tlaus  didn'  turn  this  Trismas,  but 
he's  tummin'  next  Trismas,"  said  Evelyn, 
looking  wisely  up  at  him,  that  evening,  from 
the  rug,  where  she  was  vainly  trying  to 

7 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   GLAUS 

make  her  doll's  head  stick  on  her  broken 
shoulders. 

"  And  why  did  he  not  come  this  Christ 
mas,  Miss  Wisdom  ?  "  laughed  her  father, 
touching  her  caressingly  with  the  toe  of  his 
boot. 

"  Tause  the  Yankees  wouldn't  let  him," 
said  she,  gravely,  holding  her  doll  up  and 
looking  at  it  pensively,  her  head  on  one  side. 

"And  why,  then,  should  he  come  next 
year  ? " 

"  Taus  God's  goin'  to  make  him."  She 
turned  the  mutilated  baby  around  and  ex 
amined  it  gravely,  with  her  shining  head 
still  set  on  the  other  side. 

"  There's  faith  for  you,"  said  Mrs.  Staf 
ford. 

Her  husband  asked  the  child : 

"  How  do  you  know  this  ?  " 

"Tause  God  told  me,"  answered  Evelyn, 
still  busy  with  her  inspection. 

8 


MAJOR  STAFFORD  COMES  HOME 

"He  did?     When?" 

"  Tother  night  when  I  saw  him." 

"  You  saw  him  ! " 

"  Um — hm  " — nodding  her  head  cheer 
fully. 

"  Well !  I  knew  she  was  an  angel,"  said 
Major  Stafford  in  an  aside  to  his  wife  ;  "  but 
— What  did  He  say  Santa  Claus  is  going 
to  bring  you  ?  "  he  asked. 

The  little  mite  sprang  to  her  feet.  "  He's 
goin'  to  bring  me — a — great — big — dolly 
— with  real,  sure-'nough  hair,  and  blue  eyes 
that  will  go  to  sleep,  and  her  name's  Miss 
Please-Ma'am."  Her  face  was  aglow,  and 
she  stretched  her  plump  hands  wide  apart 
to  give  the  size. 

"She  has  dreamt  it,"  said  the  Major  in 
an  undertone  to  her  mother.  "  There  is 
not  such  a  doll  as  that  in  the  Southern 
Confederacy." 

The  child  caught  his  meaning.  "Yes, 
9 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

He  is"  she  insisted,  "  'cause  I  asked  Him 
an'  He  said  he  would  ;  and  Charlie " 

Just  then  that  youngster  burst  into  the 
room,  a  small  whirlwind  in  petticoats.  As 
soon  as  his  cyclonic  tendencies  could  be 
curbed  his  father  asked  him  : 

"  Well,  what  did  you  ask  Santa  Claus  for, 
young  man  ? " 

"  For  a  pair  of  breeches  and  a  sword,"  an 
swered  the  boy  promptly,  striking  an  atti 
tude.  ''And  I'm  going  to  have  'em.  I 
told  Him  I  just  had  to  have  'em." 

"  Well,  upon  my  word  ! "  laughed  his 
father,  eyeing  the  erect  little  figure  and  the 
steady,  clear  eyes  which  looked  proudly  up 
at  him.  "  I  had  no  idea  what  a  young 
Achilles  we  had  here.  You  shall  have 
them." 

The  boy  nodded  gravely.  "All  right. 
When  I  get  to  be  a  man  I  won't  let  any 
body  make  my  mamma  cry."  He  advanced 

10 


MAJOR  STAFFORD  COMES  HOME 

a  step,  with  head  up,  the  very  picture  of 
spirit. 

"  Ah  !  you  won't  ?  "  said  his  father,  with 
a  gesture  to  prevent  his  wife  interrupting. 

"  Nor  my  little  sister,"  said  the  young 
warrior,  patronizingly,  swelling  with  infan 
tile  importance. 

"  No ;  he  won't  let  anybody  make  me 
ky,"  chimed  in  Evelyn,  promptly  accepting 
the  proffered  protection.  "  And  he  won't 
make  me  ky  himself." 

"But  you  mus'n't  be  a  cry-baby,"  de 
manded  Charlie. 

"  On  my  word,  Ellen,  the  fellow  has 
some  of  the  old  blood  in  him,"  said  Major 
Stafford,  laughing,  much  pleased.  "  Come 
here,  my  young  knight."  He  drew  the 
boy  up  to  him  and  stood  him  before  him. 
"  I  had  rather  have  heard  you  say  that  than 
have  won  a  brigadier's  wreath.  You  shall 
have  your  breeches  and  your  sword  next 

11 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA   CLAUS 

Christmas  if  I  live.  Were  I  the  king  I 
should  give  you  your  spurs.  Remember, 
never  let  any  one  make  your  mother  or 
sister  cry." 

Charlie  nodded  in  token  of  his  accept 
ance  of  the  condition. 

"  All  right.  But  she  mus'n't  be  a  cry 
baby,"  he  added  with  a  glance  down  at 
Evelyn. 


12 


Ill 


MAJOR    STAFFORD    GETS    THE    CHRISTMAS 
PRESENTS 

WHEN  Major  Stafford  galloped  away 
next  day,  on  his  return  to  his  com 
mand,  the  little  group  at  the  lawn-gate 
shouted  many  messages  after  him.  The 
last  thing  he  heard  was  Charlie's  treble,  as 
he  seated  himself  on  the  gate-post,  calling 
to  him  not  to  forget  to  make  Santa  Glaus 
bring  him  a  pair  of  uniform  breeches  and  a 
sword;  and  Evelyn's  little  voice  came  to 
him  long  after  he  could  distinguish  the 
words  but  he  knew  she  was  reminding 
him  of  her  "  dolly  that  can  go  to  sleep." 

Many  times   during  the    ensuing    year, 
amid  the   hardships   of  the   campaign,  the 

13 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   CLAUS 

privations  and  the  fatigues  of  the  march, 
and  the  dangers  of  battle,  the  Major  heard 
those  little  voices  calling  to  him. 

In  the  autumn  he  won  the  three  stars  of 
a  Colonel  for  gallantry  in  leading  a  desper 
ate  charge  on  a  town  in  the  heart  of  the 
enemy's  land.  A  perilous  raid  had  been 
made  deep  into  the  country.  An  over 
whelming  force  had  been  met  which  de 
feated  the  object  of  the  raid,  and  threatened 
the  destruction  of  the  entire  force.  The 
day  was  saved  by  Major  Stafford.  But  none 
knew,  when  he  dashed  into  the  town  at  the 
head  of  his  regiment,  under  a  hail  of  bullets, 
that  his  mind  was  full  of  toyshops  and  cloth 
ing-stores,  and  that  when  he  was  so  stoutly 
holding  his  position  he  was  guarding  a  little 
boy's  suit,  a  small  sword  with  a  gilded  scab 
bard,  and  a  large  doll  with  flowing  ringlets 
and  blue  eyes  that  could  "  go  to  sleep." 

Some  of  his  friends  during  that  year 
14 


MAJOR'S   CHRISTMAS    PRESENTS 

charged  the  Major  with  growing  miserly, 
and  rallied  him  upon  hoarding  up  his  pay 
and  carrying  large  rolls  of  Confederate 
money  about  his  person;  and  when,  just 
before  the  raid,  he  invested  his  entire  year's 
pay  in  four  or  five  ten-dollar  gold-pieces, 
they  vowed  he  was  mad. 

"  I  shall  report  him  as  a  hopeless  case," 
said  Dr.  Graham,  the  Surgeon.  "A  man 
might  have  reason  to  do  this  in  time  of 
peace ;  but  when  a  man  hoards  money  on 
his  person  and  then  exposes  himself  as  the 
Major  does  every  time  we  have  a  battle,  it's 
proof  of  insanity." 

The  Major,  however,  always  met  these 
charges  with  a  smile. 

"Doctors  are  like  other  men,"  he  said. 
"  They  think  whatever  they  cannot  under 
stand,  madness."  And  as  soon  as  his  posi 
tion  was  assured  in  the  captured  town  he 
proved  his  sanity. 

15 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   CLAUS 

The  fight  had  been  a  sharp  one,  and  the 
town  had  only  been  seized  after  a  desperate 
charge.  The  shopkeepers  had  put  up  their 
shutters  and  were  barricaded  within  their 
houses,  while  bullets  were  hailing  and  light 
field-pieces  were  cracking.  At  length  it 
grew  quiet. 

The  owner  of  a  handsome  store  on  the 
principal  street,  over  which  was  a  large 
sign,  "Men's  and  Boys'  Clothes,"  peeping 
out,  saw  a  Confederate  major  ride  up  to  the 
door,  which  had  been  hastily  fastened  when 
the  fight  began,  and  rap  on  it  with  the 
handle  of  his  sword.  There  was  something 
in  the  rap  that  was  imperative,  and  the 
owner  hastily  opened  the  door.  The 
officer  entered. 

"Good  evening."  He  looked  all  about 
him.  "  Ah  ! "  He  picked  up  a  little  uni 
form  suit  of  blue  cloth  with  brass  but 
tons. 

16 


MAJOR'S   CHRISTMAS   PRESENTS 

"  You  have  no  gray  ones  ? "  he  asked 
with  a  smile. 

"  No,  sir.     No  use  for  'em." 

"  What  is  the  price  of  this? " 

"Ten  dollars,"  stammered  the  shop 
keeper.  "  But  you  can  have  it  for  nothing 
if  you  will  keep  your  men  from  troubling 


me." 


To  his  astonishment,  the  Confederate 
officer  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  laid 
a  ten-dollar  gold  piece  on  the  counter. 

"Now  show  me  where  there  is  a  toy 
shop." 

There  was  one  only  a  few  doors  off,  and 
the  shopkeeper  was  most  eager  to  show  it. 
But  the  officer  said  he  could  find  it.  He 
went  out. 

The  Major  found  and  selected  a  boy's 
sword  handsomely  ornamented,  and  the 
most  beautiful  doll,  over  whose  eyes  stole 
the  whitest  of  roseleaf  eyelids,  and  which 

17 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

could  talk  as  dolls  talk,  and  do  other  won 
derful  things.  He  astonished  this  shop 
keeper  also  by  laying  down  another  gold- 
piece.  This  left  him  but  two  or  three 
more  of  the  proceeds  of  his  year's  pay,  and 
these  he  soon  handed  over  a  counter  to  a 
jeweller,  who  gave  him  a  small  package  in 
exchange.  He  smiled  and  chatted  so  pleas 
antly  with  the  men  that  when  he  left  the 
shopkeepers  all  had  new  ideas  of  at  least 
one  "  Rebel "  officer. 

All  during  the  remainder  of  the  cam 
paign  Colonel  Stafford  carried  a  package 
carefully  sealed  and  strapped  on  behind  his 
saddle.  His  care  of  it  and  his  secrecy  about 
it  were  the  subjects  of  many  jests  among 
his  friends  in  the  brigade,  and  when  in  an 
engagement  his  horse  was  shot,  and  the 
Colonel,  under  a  hot  fire,  stopped  and 
calmly  unbuckled  his  bundle,  and  during 
the  rest  of  the  fight  carried  it  in  his  hand, 

18 


MAJOR'S   CHRISTMAS   PRESENTS 

there  was  a  clamor  afterward  that  he 
should  disclose  the  contents.  Even  an  offer 
to  sing  them  a  song  would  not  appease  his 
friends,  though  the  Colonel  had  the  best 
voice  in  the  brigade.  They  must  know  his 
secret. 

The  brigade  officers  were  gathered  around 
a  camp-fire  that  night  on  the  edge  of  the 
bloody  field.  A  Federal  officer,  Colonel 
Denby,  who  had  been  slightly  wounded 
and  captured  in  the  fight,  and  who  now  sat 
somewhat  grim  and  moody  before  the  fire, 
was  their  guest. 

"  Now,  Stafford,  open  the  bundle  and  let 
us  into  the  secret,"  they  all  said.  "  Some  of 
us  may  get  shot  before  we  know  it." 

The  Colonel,  without  a  word,  but  with 
softened  eyes,  rose  and,  going  to  his  saddle, 
which  lay  on  the  ground  near  by,  brought 
the  parcel  to  the  fire.  Kneeling  down,  he 
took  out  his  knife  and  carefully  opened  the 

19 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   CLAUS 

outer  cover  of  oil-skin.  Many  a  jest  was 
levelled  at  him  across  the  blazing  logs  as 
he  did  so.  But  a  smile  was  on  his  face, 
and  the  Federal  colonel  thought  to  himself 
what  a  fine,  high-bred  face  it  was. 

One  said  the  Colonel  had  turned  pedler, 
and  was  trying  to  eke  out  a  living  by  run 
ning  the  blockade  on  Lilliputian  princi 
ples  ;  another  wagered  that  he  had  it  full 
of  Confederate  bills ;  a  third,  that  it  was  a 
talisman  against  bullets,  and  so  on.  Within 
the  outer  covering  were  several  others  ;  but 
at  length  the  last  was  reached.  As  the 
Colonel  ripped  carefully,  the  group  gath 
ered  around  and  bent  breathlessly  over 
him,  the  light  from  the  blazing  camp-fire 
shining  ruddily  on  their  eager,  weather- 
tanned  faces.  When  the  Colonel  put  in 
his  hand  and  drew  out  a  toy  sword,  there 
was  a  general  exclamation.  But  when  he 
took  the  doll  from  her  soft  wrapping,  and 

20 


The  Major's  Christmas  presents. 


MAJOR'S   CHRISTMAS   PRESENTS 

then  unrolled  and  held  up  a  tiny  jacket  and 
a  pair  of  little  trousers  not  much  larger 
than  a  man's  hand,  and  just  the  size  for  a 
five-year-old  boy,  there  was  a  dead  silence 
and  the  men  turned  away  their  faces  from 
the  fire,  and  more  than  one  who  had  boys  of 
his  own  at  home  put  his  hand  up  to  his  eyes. 

One  of  them,  the  bronzed  and  weather- 
beaten  officer  who  had  charged  the  Colonel 
with  being  a  miser  and  who  wore  crepe  on 
his  sleeve,  stretched  himself  out  on  the 
ground,  flat  on  his  face,  and  sobbed.  As 
Colonel  Stafford  gently  told  his  story  of 
Charlie  and  Evelyn,  even  the  grave  face  of 
Colonel  Denby  looked  somewhat  changed 
in  the  light  of  the  fire,  and  he  reached  over 
for  the  doll. 

"May  I  see  it?" 

"  Certainly."  A  half  dozen  hands  were 
stretched  out  to  pass  it  to  him.  He  handled 
it  tenderly. 

21 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA   GLAUS 

"  I,  too,  have  a  little  one  at  home,"  he  said 
in  a  low  voice,  as  he  handed  the  doll  back 
to  Colonel  Stafford.  "The  child  of  my 
only  son.  He  was  killed  at  Genies's  Mill." 

That  night  Colonel  Stafford  and  Colonel 
Denby  slept  under  the  same  blanket. 


IV 

THE  BOYS   LEARN   SOMETHING   OF  WAR 

DURING  the  whole  year  the  children 
had  been  looking  forward  to  the  com 
ing  of  Christmas.  Charlie's  outbursts  of 
petulance  and  not  rare  fits  of  anger  were 
invariably  checked  if  any  mention  was  made 
of  his  father's  injunction  to  take  care  of  his 
mother  and  little  sister  ;  and  at  length  he 
became  accustomed  to  curbing  himself  by 
the  recollection  of  the  charge  he  had  re 
ceived. 

If  he  fell  and  hurt  himself,  even  badly, 
in  his  constant  attempts  to  climb  up  im 
possible  places,  he  would  simply  snap  his 
eyes  and  rub  himself,  and  presently,  say, 
proudly,  "  I  don't  cry  now ;  I  am  a  knight, 

23 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   CLAUS 

and  next  Christmas  I  am  going  to  be  a 
man,  'cause  my  papa's  goin'  to  tell  Santa 
Claus  to  bring  me  a  pair  of  breeches  and  a 
sword."  Evelyn  could  not  help  crying 
when  she  was  hurt,  for  she  was  only  a  very 
little  girl ;  but  she  added  to  her  prayer  of 
"  God  bless  and  keep  my  papa,  and  bring 
him  safe  home,"  the  petition,  "  Please,  God, 
bless  and  keep  Santa  Tlaus,  and  let  him 
come  here  Trismas." 

Old  Bob  and  Ran,  too,  as  well  as  the 
younger  ones,  looked  forward  eagerly  to 
Christmas.  But  this  year  brought  the  war 
much  closer  to  Holly  Hill.  Heretofore  it 
had  been  to  the  children,  even  to  Bob, 
something  dim  and  distant,  like  a  cloud  on 
the  horizon,  with  grumblings  of  thunder 
and  sheet-lightning  that  threatened  but  did 
not  strike.  But  now  it  swept  up  to  Holly 
Hill  like  a  storm,  then  like  a  flood  rolled 
over  it.  The  main  armies  passed  along  the 

24 


SOMETHING   OF  WAR 

great  road  some  way  off,  the  Northern 
troops  pushing  on  and  on,  nearer  and 
nearer,  until  the  big  guns  could  be  heard  to 
the  northward,  making  the  ground  tremble 
and  the  windows  shake.  At  such  times, 
Mrs.  Stafford  would  stop  and  listen  with 
white  face  and  moving  lips,  and  the  older 
boys  would  stand  beside  her  and  count  the 
reports  in  low  tones,  for  they  knew  a  great 
battle  was  being  fought,  and  their  father 
might  be  there.  What  would  happen  in 
case  their  side  was  beaten  and  had  to  fall 
back,  they  trembled  to  think.  All  the 
horses  would  be  taken  and  the  corn.  That 
would  mean  starvation.  And,  perhaps,  the 
house  might  be  burnt.  They  had  heard  of 
such  things  elsewhere.  And  they  might 
have  to  "  refugee."  This  had  its  pleasant 
side  for  the  boys,  for  they  would  have  to 
travel  south  and,  maybe,  camp  like  gypsies 
or  the  "  young  marooners."  Bob  was  full 

25 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

of  excitement  as  to  this,  and  used  to  thrill 
Ran,  telling  how  they  would  live,  and  how 
they  would  mount  guard  at  night,  and  evade 
their  pursuers — or  sometimes  make  a  stand 
against  them,  on  a  hill,  or  at  a  stream, 
throwing  up  their  breastworks  and  holding 
them  back  with  his  gun  while  their  mother 
and  "  the  children  "  escaped. 

Then  they  would  go  out  to  the  stable 
and,  seated  on  a  manger,  talk  it  all  over 
with  Uncle  Saunders,  the  carriage-driver, 
who  was  guide,  philosopher,  and  friend  to 
them.  Uncle  Saunders  would  sometimes 
be  consoling  and  sometimes  almost  disap 
pointing. 

"  They  wer'n't  goin'  refugeein'  like  a  par 
cel  of  gypsies."  (Uncle  Saunders'  ideas  of 
camping-out  were  not  orthodox.)  "But 
'tain't  no  danger :  no  Yankees  could  git  to 
them.  If  they  could,  they'd  'a'  been  long 
ago,"  reasoned  Uncle  Saunders.  And  if  a 

26 


SOMETHING   OF  WAR 

few  of  "them  pesky  raiders  slipt  through 
and  got  there,  he'd  like  to  see  'em  git  his 
horses — he  jist  would.  He  knew  a  place  he 
could  hide  'em  where  they'd  never  find  'em. 
Gab'rull  could  hardly  find  'em  when  he 
comes  to  blow  his  horn." 

This,  at  least,  was  exciting,  and  Bob  was 
all  ears.  He  seized  the  old  driver  by  the  arm. 

"  Where  is  it,  Uncle  Saunders?  You'll 
tell  me  ?  Please.  I  won't  tell  a  soul  — 
not  even  Ran.  You  know  I  won't  if  I 
promise." 

But  no ;  Uncle  Saunders  shut  up  like  a 
clam — as  tight  as  the  high-barn  door. 

"  Well,  if  I  guess,  will  you  tell  me  ? 
Give  me  three  guesses  :  all  right?  Is  it  the 
thick  pines  the  other  side  of  the  creek  where 
the  old  mine  used  to  be  ? " 

Uncle  Saunders  shook  his  head. 

"  Well,  is  it  the  big  marsh  with  the  high 
willows,  and  the  old  wagon- track?"  ^ 

27 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   CLAUS 

"  You  know,  boy,  I  ain't  goin'  to  teck  my 
horses — my  Black  George  and  Blifil  into  dat 
mash ! " 

"  Well — ?  (strung  out  very  long).  Is  it — ? 
Let  me  see — I've  got  only  one  more  guess 
—haven't  I?" 

"I  ain't  give  you  nothing"  said  Uncle 
Saunders,  disappointingly.  "  You  jist  guess- 
in'  around  heah." 

But  Bob  insisted  that  by  letting  him 
guess  twice  he  had  agreed  to  the  plan; 
and,  in  fact,  it  did  look  so. 

"  Well,  go  on,  den,"  said  Uncle  Saunders 
at  last. 

Bob,  after  long  thought,  began  again, 
guilefully  watching  Uncle  Saunders'  orac 
ular  face  to  read  his  success  or  failure  by  his 
expression.  "  Well — is  it  ?  No,  it  isn't  that. 
Is  it — the  deep — ?  No  ;  I  don't  want  to 
ask  that,  I  know  it  is  not  that —  Is  it  the 
great  woods?"  (This  with  a  jump.) 

28 


SOMETHING   OF   WAR 

Old  Saunders  started  to  shake  his  head, 
and  then  looked  around  so  guilefully  to 
see  that  nobody  was  in  ear-shot,  that  Bob 
dropped  his  voice  to  its  most  mysterious 
tone  as  he  whispered,  "  Is  that  it  ? " 

It  may  be  doubted  whether  Uncle  Saun 
ders,  for  all  his  apparent  confiding  of  his  se 
cret  to  Bob,  was  not  playing  a  game  with 
him,  and  merely  letting  him  suppose  he  had 
guessed  his  secret  refuge.  But,  however 
this  was,  and  however  clever  he  was  at  act 
ing,  Uncle  Saunders  was  not  clever  enough 
to  foretell  the  future.  One  morning,  as 
Uncle  Saunders  was  on  his  way  to  the 
stable,  a  party  of  men  came  galloping  up  the 
hill  from  toward  the  river,  and  in  ten  minutes 
all  Uncle  Saunders'  plans  were  overthrown, 
and  his  horses,  his  cherished  friends,  were 
being  led  away  amid  his  reproaches  and  the 
lamentations  of  the  boys. 

"  Sam,  you'll  have  to  get  up  earlier  in 
29 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

the  morning  than  this  to  get  ahead  of  us," 
laughed  one  of  the  men. 

"  Dat  ain't  my  name,"  said  Uncle  Saun- 
ders,  curtly. 

"  You  think  so  much  of  your  horses, 
you'd  better  come  along  and  attend  to 
them.  We'll  pay  you  wages  and  set  you 
free."  Uncle  Saunders  shook  his  head. 

"Nor,  I'm  goin'  to  stay  right  heah  and 
teck  keer  o'  my  mistis  and  de  chillern. — My 
master  told  me  to  teck  keer  ov  'em  while 
he  was  away,  and  I'm  goin'  to  stay  heah 
till  he  comes  back." 

"You'll  stay  here  till  the  war's  over, 
then,"  said  the  blue-coat.  "Your  master, 
as  you  call  him,  will  not  be  back  here  till 
then.  We  are  going  on  to  Richmond." 

"  You  won't  get  there,"  said  Bob  with 
spirit.  "You've  been  trying  to  get  there 
for  over  three  years  and  haven't  done 

it.- . 

30 


SOMETHING   OF  WAR 

"  No,  little  Johnny,  we  haven't  yet,  but 
we're  still  on  the  way,"  said  the  soldier. 

By  breakfast-time  the  plantation  had 
been  completely  overrun ;  and  all  that  day 
the  blue-clad  troops  were  passing  by. 

It  began  to  look  after  a  little  as  if  Bob's 
prediction  were  going  to  come  true.  The 
Union  Armies  did  not  reach  Richmond. 
Their  advance  was  stayed  a  few  miles  be 
yond  Holly  Hill.  But  HoUy  Hill  and  its 
family  were  well  within  the  Federal  lines, 
and  there  was  no  chance  of  being  reached  by 
any  message  or  thing  from  the  other  side  of 
the  line.  The  roads,  knee-deep  in  mud,  were 
filled  with  troops  in  blue  uniforms  marching 
up  and  down,  or  with  wagons  passing  back 
ward  and  forward,  piled  high  with  boxes 
or  forage.  The  children  grew  so  used  to 
them  that  they  would  go  down  to  the  road 
side  and  watch  them  as  they  passed.  The 

31 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

only  Confederates  the  children  ever  saw 
now  were  the  dejected  prisoners  who  were 
being  passed  back  on  their  way  to  prison. 
The  only  news  they  ever  received  was  the 
rumors  which  reached  them  from  Fed 
eral  sources.  Mrs.  Stafford's  heart  was 
heavy  within  her,  and  when  a  day  or  two 
before  Christmas  she  heard  Charlie  and 
Evelyn,  as  they  sat  before  the  fire,  gravely 
talking  of  the  long-expected  presents  which 
their  father  had  promised  that  Santa  Claus 
should  bring  them,  she  could  stand  it  no 
longer.  She  took  Bob  and  Ran  into  her 
room,  and  there  told  them  that,  now  as  it 
was  impossible  for  their  father  to  come, 
they  must  help  her  entertain  "the  children" 
and  console  them  for  their  disappointment. 
The  two  boys  responded  heartily,  as  true 
boys  always  will  when  thrown  on  their 
manliness. 

"  I  knew  he  could  not  get  here,"  said  Ran. 
32 


SOMETHING   OF  WAR 

"I  knew  no  one  else  could;  but  papa," 
said  Bob,  "but  I  hoped  he  might.  He 
can  do  so  many  things  no  one  else  can  do." 

Mrs.  Stafford  shook  her  head. 

For  the  next  two  days  Mrs.  Stafford  and 
both  the  boys  were  busy.  Mrs.  Stafford, 
when  Charlie  was  not  present,  gave  her  time 
to  cutting  out  and  making  a  little  gray  uni 
form-suit  from  an  old  coat  her  husband  had 
worn  when  he  first  entered  the  army ;  while 
the  boys  employed  themselves,  Bob  in 
making  a  pretty  little  sword  and  scabbard 
out  of  an  old  piece  of  gutter,  and  Ran, 
who  had  a  wonderful  turn  for  carving,  in 
carving  a  doll  from  a  piece  of  hard-seasoned 
wood. 

The  day  before  Christmas  the  boys  lost  a 
little  time  in  following  and  pitying  a  small 
lot  of  prisoners  who  passed  along  the  road 
by  the  gate.  They  were  always  pitying 
the  prisoners  and  planning  means  to  rescue 

33 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

them,  for  they  had  an  idea  that  they  suffered 
a  terrible  fate.  Only  one  certain  case  had 
come  to  their  knowledge.  A  young  man 
had  one  day  been  carried  by  the  Holly  Hill 
gate  on  his  way  to  the  head-quarters  of  the 
officer  in  command  of  that  portion  of  the 
lines,  General  Denby.  He  was  in  citizen's 
clothes,  which  were  muddy  and  torn,  and 
he  was  charged  with  being  a  spy.  The 
guards  with  him  looked  grim.  His  face 
was  white,  and  yet  he  was  a  fierce-looking 
young  fellow,  speaking  scornfully  to  his 
guards.  Bob  and  Ran  returned  to  the 
house,  full  of  excitement,  and  spent  some 
time  that  night  planning  how  they  might 
rescue  him.  Their  plan  included  no  less 
than  the  capture  of  General  Denby  himself. 
Bob  mapped  it  all  out — how  he  would  cross 
the  creek,  dodging  the  picket  at  the  bridge, 
slip  past  the  sentries,  and  walking  into  the 
farm-house  where  the  General  had  his  head- 

34 


SOMETHING  OF  WAR 

quarters,  would  seize  him  and  force  him  to 
write  a  release  of  the  prisoner. 

The  next  morning,  Ran,  who  had  risen 
early  to  visit  his  hare-traps,  rushed  into  his 
mother's  room,  white- faced  and  wide-eyed. 
"  Oh !  mamma  ! "  he  gasped,  "  they  have 
hung  him,  just  because  he  had  on  those 
clothes.  Uncle  Saunders  heard  all  about 
it." 

Mrs.  Stafford,  though  she  was  much 
moved  herself,  endeavored  to  explain  to 
the  boy  that  this  was  one  of  the  laws  of 
war,  but  Ran's  mind  was  not  able  to  com 
prehend  the  principles  which  imposed  so 
cruel  a  sentence  for  what  he  deemed  so 
harmless  a  fault. 

"It's  that  old  General  Denby!"  he  ex 
claimed,  hotly.  "  Even  his  own  soldiers  say 
he  works  them  to  death.  I  wish  somebody 
would  capture  him." 

This  act  and  some  other  measures  of 
35 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   CLAUS 

severity  gave  General  Denby  a  reputation 
for  much  harshness  among  the  few  old  resi 
dents  who  yet  remained  at  their  homes 
within  the  lines,  and  the  boys  used  to  gaze 
at  him  furtively  as  he  would  ride  by,  grim 
and  stern,  followed  by  his  staff.  Yet  there 
were  those  who  said  that  General  Denby's 
rigor  was  simply  the  result  of  a  high  stand 
ard  of  duty,  and  that  at  bottom  he  had  a 
soft  heart. 

The  children,  however,  could  never  bear 
to  think  of  him,  and  when  he  would  pass 
along  with  his  staff,  as  he  sometimes  did, 
while  they  were  watching  beside  the  road, 
and  would  look  at  them  with  something 
very  like  a  smile  in  his  eyes,  they  would 
turn  their  heads  away  for  fear  he  would 
speak  to  them. 


36 


THE    SPY 

approach  of  Christmas  was  marked 
JL  even  in  the  Federal  camps,  and  many 
a  song  and  ringing  laugh  were  heard  around 
the  camp-fires  glowing  along  the  hills  and 
in  the  tents  and  little  cabins  used  as  winter- 
quarters,  over  the  boxes  which  were  pour 
ing  in  from  home. 

The  troops  in  the  camps  near  General 
Denby's  head-quarters  on  Christmas  Eve 
had  been  larking  and  frolicking  all  day 
like  so  many  boys,  preparing  for  the 
festivities  of  the  evening,  when  they  pro 
posed  to  have  a  great  entertainment;  and 
the  General,  as  he  sat  in  the  smoky  front 
room  in  the  old  farm-house  used  as  his 
head-quarters,  writing  official  papers,  had 

37 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   GLAUS 

more  than  once  during  the  afternoon  half- 
frowned  at  the  noise  and  shouting  outside. 
It  disturbed  him.  A  holiday  occasion  was 
not  the  easiest  time  for  a  general  in  com 
mand,  especially  when  the  enemy  lay  in 
force  scarcely  five  miles  away.  The  men 
were  apt  to  think  that  at  such  a  time 
discipline  should  be  relaxed,  and  they  be 
allowed  to  take  it  easy.  And  such  an  oc 
casion  was  just  the  moment  when  his  oppo 
nent,  a  general  as  watchful  as  he  was  able, 
was  likely  to  make  an  attack.  News  had 
reached  him  through  his  scouts  that  such  an 
attack  was  probable.  Moreover,  the  Gen 
eral  had  been  working  all  day  answering  de 
spatches  from  men  in  Washington,  telling 
him  to  do  things  that  were  either  impossible 
or  had  been  done  long  ago.  And,  to  crown 
it  all,  the  chimney  smoked  badly. 

At  length,  however,  late  in  the  afternoon, 
he  finished  his  work,  and  having  dismissed 

38 


THE   SPY 

his  Adjutant,  he  locked  the  door,  and  push 
ing  aside  all  his  business  papers,  took  from 
his  pocket  a  little  letter  and  began  to  read. 

As  he  read,  the  stern  lines  of  the  grim 
soldier's  face  relaxed,  and  more  than  once  a 
smile  stole  into  his  eyes  and  stirred  the  cor 
ners  of  his  grizzled  mustache. 

The  letter  was  scrawled  in  a  large,  child 
ish  hand,  and  many  of  the  words  were  in 
terlined.  It  ran : 

"MY  DEAREST  GRANDPAPA:  I  want  to 
see  you  very  much.  I  send  you  a  Christ 
inas  gift.  I  made  it  all  myself.  I  hope  to 
get  a  whole  lot  of  dolls  and  other  presents. 
I  love  you.  I  send  you  all  these  kisses 
***********  *e  You  must  kiss  them 
every  one.  Don't  I  write  well  ? 

"  Your  loving  little  granddaughter, 

"  LILY." 

When  he  had  finished  reading,  the  old  vet 
eran  gravely  lifted  the  letter  to  his  lips  and 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

pressed  a  kiss  on  each  of  the  little  spaces,  so 
carefully  drawn  by  the  childish  hand. 

This  done,  he  took  out  his  handkerchief 
and  blew  his  nose  violently  as  he  walked  up 
and  down  the  room.  He  even  muttered 
something  about  "the  fire  smoking."  Then 
he  sat  down  once  more  at  his  table,  and, 
placing  the  little  letter  before  him,  began  to 
write.  As  he  wrote,  the  fire  smoked  more 
than  ever,  and  the  sounds  of  revelry  outside 
reached  him  in  a  perfect  uproar ;  but  he 
no  longer  frowned,  and  when  the  strains  of 
"  Dixie  "  came  in  faintly  at  the  window,  sung 
in  a  clear,  rich,  mellow  solo,  though  for  a 
moment  he  looked  surprised,  he  sat  back  in 
his  chair  and  listened. 

"  I  wish  I  were  in  Dixie,  away,  away ; 

In  Dixie's  land  I'll  take  my  stand, 

To  live  and  die  for  Dixie  land, 

Away,  away,  away  down  South  in  Dixie ! " 

sang  the  voice,  full  and  sonorous. 

40 


THE   SPY 

When  the  song  ended,  there  was  an  out 
burst  of  applause,  and  shouts  apparently 
demanding  some  other  song,  which  was  re 
fused,  for  the  noise  grew  to  a  tumult.  The 
General  rose  and  walked  to  the  window. 
A  large  crowd  had  gathered  about  a  camp- 
fire  not  far  from  his  window,  and  in  the 
midst,  lifted  up  on  a  box,  and  clearly  out 
lined  against  the  firelight  stood  the  sing 
er,  a  tall,  straight  man  with  a  long  beard 
and  civilian's  clothes.  Suddenly  the  uproar 
hushed,  for  the  voice  began  again.  But 
this  time  it  was  a  hymn : 

"  While  shepherds  watched  their  flocks  by  night, 

All  seated  on  the  ground, 
The  Angel  of  the  Lord  came  down, 

And  glory  shone  around." 

Verse  after  verse  was  sung,  the  men  pour 
ing  out  of  their  tents  and  huts  to  listen  to 
the  music. 

41 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

"  All  glory  be  to  God  on  high, 

And  to  the  earth  be  peace ; 
Good  will  henceforth  from  Heaven  to  men 

Begin  and  never  cease  !  " 

"Begin  and  never  cease,"  sang  the  singer 
to  the  end. 

When  the  strain  died  away,  there  was 
dead  silence  for  a  little  space,  and  then  the 
talk  began  on  a  lower  key. 

The  General  stood  for  a  moment,  then 
turned  from  the  window,-  finished  his  letter 
and  sealed  it.  Carefully  folding  up  the  little 
sheet  which  lay  before  him,  he  replaced  it 
in  his  pocket,  and,  going  to  the  door,  sum 
moned  the  orderly  who  was  just  without. 

"  Mail  that  at  once,"  he  said. 

"  Yes,  sir."  The  soldier  saluted  and 
turned  to  leave. 

"  By  the  way,  who  was  that  singing  out 
there  just  now? — I  mean  that  last  one,  who 
sang  '  Dixie '  and  the  hymn  ? " 

42 


THE   SPY 

"  Only  a  pedler,  sir,  I  believe." 

The  General's  eyes  fixed  themselves  on 
the  soldier. 

"  Where  did  he  come  from  ? " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir.  Some  of  the  boys 
had  him  singing." 

"  Tell  Major  Dayle  to  come  here  im 
mediately,"  said  the  General. 

In  a  moment  the  officer  summoned  en 
tered,  a  stout,  round-faced  man,  who  looked 
as  if  he  took  the  world  easy.  He  appeared 
somewhat  embarrassed. 

"  Who  was  this  pedler  ? "  asked  the  com 
mander. 

"I  —  I    don't    know "     began    the 

other. 

"  You  don't  know !  Where  did  he  come 
from?" 

"  From  Colonel  Watchley's  camp — di 
rectly,"  said  he,  relieved  to  shift  a  part  of 
the  responsibility. 

43 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

"  How  was  he  dressed  ?  " 

"  In  citizen's  clothes." 

"What  did  he  have?" 

"  A  pack — a  few  toys,  and  trinkets,  and 
books." 

"  What  was  his  name  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  hear  it." 

"  And  you  let  him  go ! "  The  General's 
eyes  snapped. 

"Yes,  sir;  I  don't  think "  he  be 
gan. 

"No,  I  know  you  don't,"  said  the  Gen 
eral.  "Have  I  not  given  strict  orders? 
He  was  a  spy.  Where  has  he  gone? " 

"I — I  don't  know.  He  cannot  have 
gone  far." 

"Report  yourself  under  arrest,"  said  the 
commander,  sternly. 

The  officer,  after  waiting  a  moment, 
walked  off  scowling.  Walking  to  the  door, 
the  General  said  to  the  sentinel : 

44 


THE   SPY 

"Call  the  corporal,  and  tell  him  to  re 
quest  Captain  Albert  to  come  here  im 
mediately." 

In  a  moment  an  alert,  vigorous-looking 
young  officer  came  up,  and  the  General 
gave  him  an  order. 

"  He  must  be  found  and  not  allowed  to 
escape,"  he  said  in  closing. 

"Yes,  sir:  I'll  find  him,"  he  said,  as  he 
hurried  off. 

Ten  minutes  later  a  small  body  of  horse 
men  rode  rapidly  out  of  camp  in  the  direc 
tion  the  pedler  had  taken.  The  picket  at 
the  bridge  across  the  little  stream  below  the 
camp  had  seen  nothing  of  the  pedler,  and 
the  men  separated  and  began  to  visit  the 
camps  stretched  along  the  slopes  above  the 
stream. 

An  hour  or  two  later  Captain  Albert  re 
ported  that  he  had  traced  the  spy  to  a  place 
just  over  the  creek,  wrhere  he  was  believed 

45 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   CLAUS 

to  be  harbored.  He  wanted  more  men  to 
surround  the  house. 

"  Take  a  detail  and  arrest  him,  or  burn 
the  house,"  ordered  the  General,  angrily. 
"  It  is  a  perfect  nest  of  treason — even  the 
slaves  are  rebels !  "  he  said  to  himself,  as  he 
walked  up  and  down,  as  though  in  justifica 
tion  of  his  savage  order.  He  put  his  hand 
in  his  pocket.  It  struck  a  little  square  en 
velope. 

"  Or  wait,"  he  called  to  the  captain,  who 
was  just  withdrawing.  "  I  will  go  there 
myself,  and  take  it  for  my  head- quarters. 
It  is  a  better  place  than  this.  I  cannot 
stand  this  smoke  any  longer.  That  will 
break  up  their  treasonable  work." 


46 


VI 

SANTA   CLAUS   PASSES   THE   LINES 

ALL  that  day  the  tongues  of  the  two 
little  ones  at  Holly  Hill  had  been 
chattering  unceasingly  of  the  expected  visit 
of  Santa  Claus  that  night.  Mrs.  Stafford 
had  tried  to  explain  to  Charlie  and  Evelyn 
that  it  would  be  impossible  for  Santa  Claus 
to  bring  them  their  presents  this  year ;  but 
she  was  met  with  the  undeniable  and  un 
answerable  statement  that  their  father  had 
promised  them.  Before  going  to  bed  they 
had  hung  their  stockings  on  the  mantelpiece 
right  in  front  of  the  chimney,  so  that  Santa 
Claus  would  be  sure  to  see  them. 

The  mother  had  broken  down  over  Eve 
lyn's  prayer,  "  not  to  forget  my  papa,  and 
not  to  forget  my  dolly,"  and  "  to  take  care 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

of  my  papa  and  of  Santa  Claus  and  not  to 
let  the  Yankees  hurt  'em,"  and  her  tears  fell 
silently  after  the  little  ones  were  asleep,  as 
she  put  the  finishing  touches  to  the  tiny 
gray  uniform  for  Charlie.  She  was  think 
ing  not  only  of  the  children's  disappoint 
ment,  but  of  the  absence  of  him  on  whose 
promise  they  had  so  securely  relied.  He  had 
been  away  now  for  a  year,  and  she  had  had 
no  word  of  him  for  many  weeks.  Where 
was  he?  Was  he  dead  or  alive?  Mrs. 
Stafford  sank  on  her  knees  by  the  bedside. 

"  O  God,  give  me  faith  like  this  little 
child  1 "  she  prayed  again  and  again.  She 
was  startled  by  hearing  a  step  on  the  front 
portico  and  a  knock  at  the  door. 

Bob,  who  was  working  in  front  of  the  hall- 
fire,  went  to  the  door.  His  mother  heard 
him  answer  doubtfully  some  question.  She 
opened  the  door  of  her  chamber  and  went 
out  into  the  hall.  A  stranger  with  a  large 

48 


SANTA   CLAUS   COMES 

bundle  or  pack  on  his  back  stood  on  the 
threshold.  His  clothes  were  shabby  and 
old,  his  hat,  which  was  still  on  his  head, 
was  pulled  down  over  his  eyes,  and  he 
wore  a  beard. 

"  An',  leddy,  wud  ye  bay  so  koind  as  to 
shelter  a  poor  sthranger  for  a  noight  at  this 
blissed  time  of  pace  and  good- will?"  he 
said,  in  a  strong  Irish  brogue. 

"  Certainly,"  said  Mrs.  Stafford,  with  her 
eyes  fixed  on  him.  She  moved  slowly  up 
to  him.  Then,  by  an  instinct,  quickly  lifting 
her  hand,  she  pushed  his  hat  back  from  his 
eyes.  Her  husband  clasped  her  in  his  arms. 

"  My  darling  ! " 

Bob,  with  a  cry,  seized  him.  "  I  knew 
you'd  come,  father,"  he  said. 

"  They  all  said  you  would,"  declared  Mrs. 
Stafford. 

"  Well,  I  had  to  come.  I  had  given  my 
word,"  said  Colonel  Stafford,  smiling. 

49 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA   GLAUS 

The  Colonel  was  borne  into  the  hall. 

A  little  later  the  pack  was  opened,  and 
such  a  treasure-house  of  toys  and  things 
was  displayed  as  surely  never  greeted  any 
other  eyes.  The  smaller  children,  including 
Ran,  were  not  awakened,  at  their  father's 
request,  though  Mrs.  Stafford  wished  to 
wake  them  to  see  him.  But  Bob  was  let 
into  the  secrets,  except  that  he  was  not 
permitted  to  see  a  small  package  which  bore 
his  name.  Mrs.  Stafford  and  the  Colonel 
were  like  two  children  themselves  as  they 
"  tipped  "  about,  stuffing  the  long  stockings 
with  candy  and  toys.  The  beautiful  doll 
with  flaxen  hair,  all  arrayed  in  silk  and  lace, 
was  seated,  last  of  all,  securely  on  top  of 
Evelyn's  stocking,  with  her  wardrobe  just 
below  her,  where  she  would  greet  her  young 
mistress  when  she  should  first  open  her 
eyes,  and  Charlie's  little  blue  uniform  was 
pinned  beside  the  gray  one  his  mother  had 

50 


SANTA  CLAUS   COMES 

made,  with  his  sword  buckled  around  the 
waist. 

Bob  was  at  last  dismissed  to  his  room, 
and  the  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Stafford  settled 
themselves  before  the  fire,  hand  in  hand,  to 
talk  over  the  past. 

They  had  hardly  started,  when  Bob 
rushed  down  the  stairs  and  dashed  into 
their  room. 

"  Papa !  papa !  the  yard  is  full  of  Yan 
kees  ! " 

Both  the  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Stafford 
sprang  to  their  feet. 

"  Through  the  back  door!"  cried  Mrs. 
Stafford,  seizing  her  husband. 

"  He  cannot  get  out  that  way — they  are 
everywhere — all  around  the  house  ;  I  saw 
them  from  my  window,"  gasped  Bob,  just 
as  the  sound  of  trampling  without  came  to 
their  ears. 

"  Oh  I  what  will  you  do  !  Those  clothes  ! 
51 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA   CLAUS 

If  they  catch  you  in  those  clothes  !  "  began 
Mrs.  Stafford,  and  then  stopped,  her  face 
growing  ashy  pale.  Bob  also  turned  even 
whiter  than  he  had  been  before.  He  re 
membered  the  fate  of  the  young  man  who 
was  found  in  citizen's  clothes  in  the  autumn. 
He  burst  out  crying.  "  Oh,  papa  !  will  they 
hang  you  ?  "  he  sobbed. 

"  I  hope  not,  my  son,"  said  the  Colonel. 
"Certainly  not  if  I  can  prevent  it."  A 
gleam  of  humor  stole  into  his  eyes.  "  It's  an 
awkward  fix,  certainly,"  he  added,  gravely. 

A  number  of  footsteps  sounded  on  the 
porch,  and  a  thundering  knock  shook  the 
door. 

"  You  must  conceal  yourself,"  cried  Mrs. 
Stafford.  "Come  here."  She  pulled  him 
almost  by  main  force  into  a  closet  or  entry, 
and  locked  the  door,  just  as  the  knocking 
was  renewed.  As  the  front  door  was  ap 
parently  about  to  be  broken  down,  she 

52 


SANTA  CLAUS   COMES 

went  out  into  the  hall.  Her  face  was 
deadly  white,  and  her  lips  were  moving  in 
prayer. 

"  Who's  there  ? w  she  called,  tremblingly, 
trying  to  gain  time. 

"  Open  the  door  immediately,  or  it  will 
be  broken  down,"  replied  a  stern  voice. 

She  turned  the  great  iron  key  in  the 
heavy,  old,  brass  lock,  and  a  dozen  men 
pushed  into  the  hall.  They  all  waited  for 
one,  a  tall,  elderly  man  in  a  general's  fatigue- 
uniform,  with  a  stern  face  and  a  grizzled 
beard.  He  addressed  her. 

"  Madam,  I  have  come  to  take  possession 
of  this  house  as  my  head-quarters." 

Mrs.  Stafford  bowed,  unable  to  speak. 
She  was  sensible  of  a  feeling  of  relief  ;  there 
was  a  gleam  of  hope.  If  they  did  not  know 
of  her  husband's  presence — ?  But  the  next 
word  destroyed  it. 

"  We  have  not  interfered  with  you  up  to 
53 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA   CLAUS 

the  present  time,  but  you  have  been  harbor 
ing  a  spy  here,  and  he  is  here  now." 

"  There  is  no  spy  here,  and  has  never 
been,"  said  Mrs.  Stafford,  with  dignity. 
"  But  if  there  were,  you  should  not  know 
it  from  me.  It  is  not  the  custom  of  our 
people  to  deliver  up  those  who  have  sought 
their  protection."  She  spoke  with  much 
spirit. 

The  officer  removed  his  hat.  His  keen 
eye  was  fixed  on  her  white  face.  "  We 
shall  search  the  premises,"  he  said,  still 
sternly,  but  more  respectfully  than  he  had 
yet  spoken.  "  Major,  have  the  house  thor 
oughly  searched." 

The  men  went  striding  off,  opening  doors 
and  looking  through  the  rooms.  The  Gen 
eral  took  a  turn  up  and  down  the  hall.  He 
walked  up  to  a  door. 

"That  is  my  chamber,"  said  Mrs.  Staf 
ford,  quickly. 

54 


SANTA  CLAUS   COMES 

The  officer  fell  back.  "It  must  be 
searched,"  he  said. 

"  My  little  children  are  asleep  in  there," 
said  Mrs.  Stafford,  her  face  quite  white. 

"  It  must  be  searched,"  repeated  the  Gen 
eral,  more  gently.  "  Either  they  must  do 
it,  or  I.  You  can  take  your  choice." 

Mrs.  Stafford  stood  aside  and  made  a 
gesture  of  assent.  She  could  not  trust  her 
voice.  He  opened  the  door  and  stepped 
across  the  threshold.  There  he  stopped. 
His  eye  took  in  the  scene.  Charlie  was 
lying  in  the  little  trundle-bed  in  the  corner, 
calm  and  peaceful,  and  by  his  side  was 
Evelyn,  her  little  face  looking  like  a  flower, 
lying  in  the  tangle  of  golden  hair  which  fell 
over  her  pillow.  The  noise  disturbed  her 
slightly,  for  she  smiled  suddenly,  and  mut 
tered  something  about  "  Santa  Tlaus  "  and 
a  "dolly."  The  officer's  gaze  swept  the 
room,  and  fell  on  the  overcrowded  stockings 

55 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   GLAUS 

hanging  from  the  mantel.  He  advanced  to 
the  fireplace  and  examined  the  doll  and 
trousers  closely.  With  a  curious  expression 
on  his  face  he  leant  over  and  gazed  ear 
nestly  down  at  the  two  little  heads  on  their 
pillow.  Then  he  turned  and  walked  out  of 
the  room,  closing  the  door  softly  behind 
him. 

"  Major,"  he  said  to  the  officer  in  charge 
of  the  searching  party,  who  descended  the 
stairs  just  then,  "take  the  men  back  to 
camp,  except  the  sentinels.  There  is  no 
spy  here." 

In  a  moment  Mrs.  Stafford  came  out  of 
her  chamber.  The  old  officer  was  walking 
up  and  down  in  deep  thought.  Suddenly, 
as  the  last  soldier  disappeared  through  the 
door,  he  turned  to  her :  "  Mrs.  Stafford,  be 
so  kind  as  to  go  and  tell  Colonel  Stafford 
that  General  Denby  desires  him  to  sur 
render  himself." 

56 


SANTA   GLAUS   COMES 

Mrs.  Stafford  was  struck  dumb.  She 
was  unable  to  move  or  to  speak. 

"  Kindly  present  my  compliments  and 
say  he  need  not  hurry;  I  shall  wait  for 
him,"  said  the  General,  quietly,  throwing 
himself  into  an  arm-chair,  and  looking 
steadily  into  the  fire. 


57 


VII 

BOB   SECURES   A   UNIFORM 

AS  his  father  concealed  himself,  Bob  had 
left  the  chamber.  He  was  in  a  per 
fect  agony  of  mind.  He  knew  that  his 
father  could  not  escape,  and  if  he  were 
found  dressed  in  citizen's  clothes  he  felt 
that  he  could  have  but  one  fate.  Once 
the  men  went  toward  the  passage  that  led 
through  to  the  rear  entry  in  which  his  father 
was  concealed.  Bob's  heart  stood  still ;  but 
he  acted  quickly.  He  flung  himself  on  the 
floor  right  in  the  entrance  and  began  to 
work  quietly  by  the  dim  firelight.  The 
searchers  passed  by.  All  sorts  of  schemes 
for  rescue  entered  his  head.  Suddenly  he 
thought  of  a  small  group  of  prisoners  he 

58 


BOB   SECURES  A  UNIFORM 

had  seen  pass  by  about  dark.  He  had 
talked  with  one  of  them,  a  major.  A 
guard  said  they  were  on  their  way  to 
General  Denby's  camp.  He  would  save 
him !  Putting  on  his  hat,  he  opened  the 
front  door  and  slipped  out.  A  sentinel 
tramping  up  and  down  on  the  porch  ac 
costed  him  surlily  to  know  where  he  was 
going. 

"  Won't  you  come  in  and  get  warm  ? " 
said  Bob,  hospitably. 

"  Can't.  Wish  I  could.  It's  cold  enough 
out  here.  Cold  as  th'  State  of  Maine.  I 
wish  I  was  in  old  York  right  now  by  a 
good  stove." 

"  I  wish  you  were,  too,"  said  Bob,  with 
sincerity. 

"I'd  give  a  mite  to  see  that  old  white 
steeple  again,  and  the  moonlight  on  the 
snow  stretching  down  toward  the  mill-pond ; 
and  hear  the  tide  ripping  in." 

59 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA   CLAUS 

"What  do  you  do  with  your  prisoners 
when  you  catch  them  ? "  inquired  Bob. 
"Send  some   on   to   prison  —  and  hang 


some." 


"  I  mean  when  you  first  catch  them." 

"  Oh,  they  stay  in  camp.  We  don't  treat 
'em  bad,  without  they  be  spies.  There's  a 
batch  at  camp  now,  got  in  this  evening — 
sort  o'  Christmas-gift."  The  soldier  laughed 
as  he  stamped  his  feet  to  keep  warm. 

"  Where's  your  camp  ? "  Bob  asked. 

"  About  a  mile  from  here,  right  on  the 
road,  or  rather  right  on  the  hill  at  the  edge 
o'  the  pines  'yond  the  crick." 

The  boy  left  him,  and  sauntered  in  and 
out  among  the  other  men  who  were  build 
ing  a  fire  in  the  yard.  Presently  he  moved 
on  to  the  edge  of  the  lawn  beyond  them. 
No  one  took  further  notice  of  him.  In  a 
second  he  had  slipped  through  the  gate, 
and  was  flying  across  the  field.  He  knew 

60 


BOB   SECURES  A  UNIFORM 

every  foot  of  the  ground  as  well  as  a  hare, 
for  he  had  been  hunting  and  setting  traps 
over  it  since  he  was  as  big  as  little  Charlie. 
He  had  to  make  a  detour  at  the  creek  to 
avoid  the  picket  at  the  bridge,  and  the 
dense  briers  in  the  bottom  were  very  bad 
and  painful.  However,  he  worked  his  way 
through,  though  his  face  and  hands  were 
severely  scratched.  Into  the  creek  he 
plunged.  "  Outch! "  He  had  stepped  into 
a  hole  up  to  his  waist,  and  the  water  was 
as  cold  as  ice.  However,  he  was  soon 
through,  and  at  the  top  of  the  hill  he 
could  see  the  glow  of  the  camp-fires  light 
ing  up  the  sky. 

He  crept  up  cautiously,  and  saw  the  dark 
forms  of  the  sentinels  pacing  backward  and 
forward  wrapped  in  their  overcoats,  now  lit 
up  by  the  fire,  then  growing  black  against 
its  blazing  embers,  then  lit  up  again,  and 
passing  away  into  the  shadow.  How  could 

61 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA   CLAUS 

he  ever  get  by  them  ?  His  heart  began  to 
beat  and  his  teeth  to  chatter,  but  he  walked 
boldly  up. 

"  Halt !  who  goes  there  ? "  cried  the  sen 
try,  bringing  his  gun  down  and  advancing 
on  him. 

Bob  kept  on,  and  the  sentinel,  finding 
that  it  was  only  a  boy,  looked  rather  sheep 
ish.  To  the  men  about  the  camp-fire  his 
appearance  was  the  signal  for  fun. 

"  Don't  let  him  capture  you,  Jim,"  called 
one  of  them ;  "  Call  the  Corporal  of  the 
Guard,"  another  ;  "  Order  up  the  reserves,"  a 
third.  "  He's  a  Christmas-gift  for  you  ;  I'm 
going  to  put  him  in  your  stocking,"  laughed 
one.  "  It's  big  enough  to  hold  him,"  said 
another. 

Bob  had  to  undergo  something  of  an 
examination.  Where  had  he  come  from  ? 

"I  know  the  little  Johnny,"  said  one  of 
the  men.  "  He  lives  over  in  the  white 


BOB   SECURES  A  UNIFORM 

house  on  the  hill  to  that  side  of  the 
creek." 

They  told  Bob  to  draw  up  to  the  fire, 
and  made  quite  a  fuss  over  him.  Bob  had 
his  wits  about  him  and  soon  learned  that  a 
batch  of  prisoners  were  at  a  fire  a  hundred 
yards  farther  back.  He  therefore  made  his 
way  over  there,  although  he  was  advised  to 
stay  where  he  was  and  get  dry,  and  had 
many  offers  of  a  bunk  from  his  new  friends, 
some  of  whom  followed  him  over  to  where 
the  prisoners  were. 

Most  of  the  prisoners  were  quartered  for 
the  night  in  a  hut  before  which  a  guard  was 
stationed.  One  or  two,  however,  sat  around 
the  camp-fire,  chatting  with  their  guards. 
Among  these  was  a  major  in  full  uniform. 
Bob  singled  him  out:  he  was  just  about  his 
father's  size. 

Bob  was  instantly  the  centre  of  attraction. 
Again  he  told  them  he  was  from  Holly  Hill; 

63 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

again  he  was  recognized  by  one  of  the 
men. 

"  Run  away  to  join  the  army  ? "  asked 
one. 

"  No,"  said  Bob,  his  eyes  flashing  at  the 
suggestion. 

"  Lost  ?  * 

"  No." 

"  Mother  whipped  you?  " 

«  No." 

As  soon  as  their  curiosity  had  somewhat 
subsided,  Bob,  who  had  hardly  been  able  to 
contain  himself,  said  to  the  Confederate 
major  in  a  low  undertone  : 

"  My  father,  Colonel  Stafford,  is  at  home, 
concealed,  and  the  Yankees  have  taken  pos 
session  of  the  house." 

"  Well  ? "  said  the  Major,  looking  down  at 
him  as  if  casually. 

"He  cannot  escape.  He  came  to-night 
through  the  lines,  and  he  has  on  citizen's 

64 


BOB   SECURES   A  UNIFORM 

clothes,  and — "  Bob's  voice  choked  sud 
denly  as  he  gazed  at  the  Major's  uniform. 

"  Well  ?  "  The  prisoner  for  a  second 
looked  sharply  down  at  the  boy's  earnest 
face.  Then  he  put  his  hand  under  his  chin, 
and  lifting  it,  looked  into  his  eyes.  Bob 
shivered  and  a  sob  escaped  him. 

The  Major  placed  his  hand  firmly  on  his 
knee.  "  Why,  you  are  wringing  wet,"  he 
said,  aloud.  "  I  wonder  you  are  not  frozen 
to  death."  He  rose  and  stripped  off  his 
coat.  "  Here,  get  into  this  ;  "  and  before 
the  boy  knew  it  the  Maj  or  had  bundled  him 
into  his  coat,  and  rolled  up  the  sleeves  so 
that  Bob  could  use  his  hands.  The  action 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  rest  of  the 
group,  and  several  of  the  soldiers  offered 
to  take  the  boy  and  give  him  dry  clothes. 

"  No,  sir,"  laughed  the  Major  ;  "  this  boy 
is  a  rebel.  Do  you  think  he  will  wear  one 
of  your  Yankee  suits  ?  He's  a  little  major, 

65 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

and  I'm  going  to  give  him  a  major's  uni 
form." 

In  a  minute  he  had  stripped  off  his  trou 
sers,  and  was  helping  Bob  into  them,  stand 
ing  himself  in  his  underclothes  in  the  icy 
air.  The  legs  were  twice  too  long  for  the 
boy,  and  the  waist  came  up  to  his  arm-pits. 

"  Now  go  home  to  your  mother,"  said  the 
Major,  laughing  at  his  appearance;  "and 
some  of  you  fellows  get  me  some  clothes  or 
a  blanket.  I'll  wear  your  Yankee  uniform 
out  of  sheer  necessity." 

Bob  trotted  around,  keeping  as  far  away 
from  the  light  of  the  camp-fires  as  possible. 
He  soon  found  himself  unobserved,  and 
reaching  the  shadow  of  a  line  of  huts,  and 
keeping  well  in  it,  he  came  to  the  edge  of 
the  camp.  He  watched  his  opportunity, 
and  when  the  sentry's  back  was  turned  he 
slipped  out  into  the  darkness.  In  an  in 
stant  he  was  flying  down  the  hill.  The 

66 


Bob  trotted  around,  keeping  as  far  away  from  the  light  of  the  camp-fires  as  possible. 


BOB   SECURES   A  UNIFORM 

heavy  clothes  impeded  him,  and  he  stopped 
only  long  enough  to  snatch  them  off  and 
roll  them  into  a  bundle,  and  sped  on  his 
way  again.  He  struck  the  main  road,  and 
was  running  down  it  as  fast  as  his  legs  could 
carry  him,  when  he  suddenly  found  himself 
almost  on  a  group  of  dark  objects  who 
were  standing  in  the  road  just  in  front  of 
him.  One  of  them  moved.  It  was  the 
picket.  He  had  forgotten  all  about  them. 
Bob  suddenly  stopped.  His  heart  was  in 
his  throat. 

"  Who  goes  there  ? "  said  a  stern  voice. 
Bob's  heart  beat  as  if  it  would  spring  out  of 
his  body. 

"  Come  in;  we  have  you,"  said  the  man, 
advancing. 

Bob  sprang  across  the  ditch  beside  the 
road,  and  putting  his  hand  on  the  top  rail  of 
the  low  fence,  flung  himself  over  it,  bundle 
and  all,  flat  on  the  other  side,  just  as  a  blaze 

67 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

of  light  burst  from  the  picket,  and  the  re 
port  of  a  carbine  startled  the  silent  night. 
The  bullet  grazed  the  boy's  arm,  and  crashed 
through  the  rail.  In  a  second  Bob  was  on 
his  feet.  The  picket  was  almost  on  him. 
Seizing  his  bundle,  he  dived  into  the  thicket 
as  a  half-dozen  shots  were  sent  ringing  after 
him,  the  bullets  hissing  and  whistling  over 
his  head.  Several  men  dashed  into  the 
woods  after  him  in  hot  pursuit,  and  a  couple 
more  galloped  up  the  road  to  intercept  him ; 
but  Bob's  feet  were  winged,  and  he  slipped 
through  briers  and  brush  like  a  scared  hare. 
They  scratched  his  face  and  threw  him 
down,  but  he  was  up  again.  Now  and  then 
a  shot  crashed  behind  him,  but  he  did  not 
care  for  that;  he  thought  only  of  being 
caught. 

A  few  hundred  yards  up  the  stream  he 
plunged  into  the  water,  and  wading  across, 
was  soon  safe  from  his  pursuers.  Breath- 

68 


BOB   SECURES   A  UNIFORM 

less,  he  climbed  the  hill,  made  his  way 
through  the  woods,  and  emerged  into  the 
open  fields.  Across  these  he  sped  like  a 
deer.  He  had  almost  given  out.  What  if 
they  should  have  caught  his  father,  and  he 
should  be  too  late  I  A  sob  escaped  him  at 
the  bare  thought,  and  he  broke  again  into  a 
fast  run,  wiping  off  with  his  sleeve  the  tears 
that  would  come.  The  wind  cut  him  like  a 
knife,  but  he  did  not  mind  that. 

As  he  neared  the  house  he  feared  that 
he  might  be  stopped  again  and  the  clothes 
taken  from  him,  so  he  paused  for  a  mo 
ment,  and  slipped  them  on  once  more,  roll 
ing  up  the  sleeves  and  legs  as  well  as  he 
could.  He  crossed  the  yard  undisturbed. 
He  went  around  to  the  same  door  by  which 
he  had  come  out,  for  he  thought  this  his 
best  chance.  The  same  sentinel  was  there, 
walking  up  and  down,  blowing  his  cold 
hands.  Had  his  father  been  arrested? 

69 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

Bob's  teeth  chattered,  but  it  was  with  sup 
pressed  excitement. 

"  Your  clothes  seem  to  V  grown  a  mite 
since  you  went  out  ?  "  said  the  sentry,  quiz 
zically. 

"Yes,  I  was  co-co-cold,"  stammered 
Bob. 

"  Tis  pretty  cold,"  said  the  sentry. 

"  Ye — es,"  gasped  Bob. 

"Your  mother's  been  out  here,  looking 
for  you,  I  guess,"  said  the  soldier,  with 
much  friendliness. 

"I  rec — reckon  so,"  panted  Bob,  moving 
toward  the  door.  Did  that  mean  that  his 
father  was  caught  ?  He  opened  the  door, 
and  slipped  quietly  into  the  corridor. 

General  Denby  still  sat  silent  before  the 
hall-fire.  Bob  listened  at  the  chamber-door. 
His  mother  was  weeping ;  his  father  stood 
calm  and  resolute  before  the  fire.  He  had 
determined  to  give  himself  up. 

70 


BOB  SECURES  A  UNIFORM 

"If  you  only  did  not  have  on  those 
clothes !  "  sobbed  Mrs.  Stafford.  « If  I  only 
had  not  cut  up  the  old  uniform  for  the 
children ! " 

"  Mother !  mother !  I  have  one ! "  gasped 
Bob,  bursting  into  the  room  and  tearing  off 
the  unknown  major's  uniform. 


71 


VIII 

SANTA   CLAUS   SURRENDERS 

TEN  minutes  later  Colonel  Stafford, 
with  a  steady  step  and  a  proud  car 
riage,  and  with  his  hand  resting  on  Bob's 
shoulder,  walked  out  into  the  hall.  He 
was  dressed  in  the  uniform  of  a  Confederate 
major,  which  fitted  admirably  his  tall,  erect 
figure. 

"  General  Denby,  I  believe,"  he  said,  as 
the  Union  officer  rose  and  faced  him. 
"  We  have  met  before  under  somewhat 
different  circumstances,"  he  said,  with  a 
bow,  "  for  I  now  find  myself  your  prisoner." 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  request  your  parole," 
said  the  General,  with  great  politeness,  "  and 
to  express  the  hope  that  I  may  be  able  in 

72 


SANTA  CLAUS  SURRENDERS 

some  way  to  return  the  courtesy  which  I 
formerly  received  at  your  hands."  He 
extended  his  hand  and  Colonel  Stafford 
took  it. 

"  You  have  my  parole,"  said  he. 

"I  was  not  aware,"  said  the  General, 
with  a  bow  toward  Mrs.  Stafford,  "  until  I 
entered  the  room  where  your  children  were 
sleeping,  that  I  had  the  honor  of  your  hus 
band's  acquaintance.  I  will  now  take  my 
leave  and  return  to  my  camp,  that  I  may 
not  by  my  presence  interfere  with  the  joy 
of  this  season." 

"  I  desire  to  introduce  to  you  my  son," 
said  Colonel  Stafford,  proudly  presenting 
Bob.  "  He  is  a  hero." 

The  General  bowed  as  he  shook  hands 
with  him.  Perhaps  he  had  some  suspicion 
how  true  a  hero  he  was,  for  he  rested  his  hand 
kindly  on  the  boy's  head,  but  said  nothing. 

Both  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Stafford  invited 
73 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

the  old  soldier  to  spend  the  night  there,  but 
he  declined.  He,  however,  accepted  an  in 
vitation  to  dine  with  them  next  day. 

Before  leaving,  he  requested  permission 
to  take  one  more  look  at  the  sleeping  chil 
dren.  Over  Evelyn  he  bent  silently.  Sud 
denly  stooping,  he  kissed  her  little  pink 
cheek,  and  with  a  scarcely  audible  "  Good 
night,"  passed  quickly  out  of  the  room  and 
left  the  house. 

The  next  morning,  by  light,  there  was 
great  rejoicing.  Charlie  and  Evelyn  were 
up  betimes,  and  were  laughing  and  chattering 
over  their  presents  like  two  little  magpies. 

"Those  Yankees  did  not  catch  Santa 
Claus  at  all.  Here's  my  sword  and  here's 
my  breeches,"  cried  Charlie,  "  two  pair ;  but 
I'm  goin'  to  put  on  my  gray  ones.  I  ain't 
goin'  to  wear  a  blue  uniform." 

"  Here's  my  dolly ! "  screamed  Evelyn,  in 
74 


SANTA  CLAUS   SURRENDERS 

an  ecstasy  over  her  beautiful  present.  Just 
then  their  father  sat  up  and  spoke  to  them. 
With  a  cry  they  gathered  up  their  presents 
and  made  a  dash  for  him. 

"  Just  see  what  Santa  Claus  brought  us," 
they  cried,  hugging  him  warmly. 

"  How  did  you  turn  ?  "  asked  Evelyn,  in  a 
pause. 

"Oh,  don't  you  know  't  Santa  Claus 
brought  him  to  mamma  ? "  said  Charlie, 
arrogantly.  "  Papa,  did  he  let  you  drive 
the  reindeer  ? " 

Presently  Bob  and  Ran  burst  in,  their 
eyes  fairly  dancing. 

"  Christmas-gift  1  It's  a  real  one — real 
gold ! "  cried  Bob,  holding  up  a  small  gold 
watch,  while  Ran  was  shouting  over  a  silver 
watch  of  the  same  size. 

That  evening,  after  dinner,  General 
Denby  was  sitting  by  the  fire  in  the  Holly 

75 


A   CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

Hill  parlor,  with  Evelyn  nestled  in  his  lap, 
her  dolly  clasped  close  to  her  bosom,  and, 
in  the  absence  of  Colonel  Stafford,  who  had 
walked  out,  with  the  older  boys,  the  Gen 
eral  told  Mrs.  Stafford  the  story  of  the  open 
ing  of  the  package  by  the  camp-fire.  The 
tears  welled  up  in  Mrs.  Stafford's  eyes  and 
ran  down  her  cheeks. 

Charlie  suddenly  entered,  in  all  the  maj 
esty  of  his  new  breeches,  and  sword  buckled 
on  hip.  He  saw  his  mother's  tears.  His 
little  face  flushed.  In  a  second  his  sword 
was  out,  and  he  struck  a  hostile  attitude. 

"  You  sha'n't  make  my  mamma  cry  ! "  he 
shouted. 

"Charlie!  Charlie!"  cried  Mrs.  Stafford, 
hastening  to  stop  him. 

"  My  papa  said  I  was  not  to  let  anyone 
make  you  cry,"  insisted  the  boy,  stepping 
before  his  mother,  and  still  keeping  his 
angry  eyes  on  the  General. 

76 


SANTA   CLAUS   SURRENDERS 

"  Oh,  Charlie  ! "  Mrs.  Stafford  took  hold 
of  him.  "  I  arn  ashamed  of  you  ! — to  be  so 
rude ! " 

"  Let  him  alone,  madam,"  said  the  Gen 
eral.  "It  is  not  rudeness ;  it  is  spirit — the 
spirit  of  our  race.  He  has  the  soldier's 
blood,  and  some  day  he  will  be  a  soldier 
himself,  and  a  brave  one.  I  shall  count 
on  him  for  the  Union,"  he  said,  with  a 
smile. 

Mrs.  Stafford  shook  her  head.  But  the 
General  nodded  again,  and,  drawing  the 
little  boy  to  his  knees,  told  him  of  his 
father's  showing  him  the  sword  by  the 
camp-fire  when  he  himself  was  a  prisoner. 

A  few  days  later,  Colonel  Stafford,  in 
accordance  with  an  understanding,  went 
over  to  General  Denby's  camp,  and  re 
ported  to  be  sent  on  to  Washington  as  a 
prisoner  of  war.  The  General  was  absent 
on  the  lines  at  the  time,  but  was  expected 

77 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA   GLAUS 

soon,  and  the  Colonel  waited  for  him  at  his 
head-quarters.  There  had  been  many  tears 
shed  when  his  wife  bade  him  good-by. 

About  an  hour  after  the  Colonel  left 
home,  the  General  and  his  staff  were  riding 
back  to  camp  along  the  road  which  ran 
by  the  Holly  Hill  gate.  Just  before  they 
reached  it,  two  little  figures  came  out  of  the 
gate  and  started  down  the  road.  One  was 
a  boy  of  five,  who  carried  a  toy  sword, 
drawn,  in  one  hand,  whilst  with  the  other 
he  led  his  companion,  a  little  girl  of  three, 
who  clasped  a  large  yellow-haired  doll  to 
her  breast. 

The  soldiers  cantered  forward  and  over 
took  them.  The  little  girl  shrank  behind 
her  brother  where  he  stood,  stoutly,  holding 
her  behind  him  with  one  hand  while  with 
the  other  he  clutched  his  small  sword,  de 
fiantly. 

"  Where  are  you  going,  my  little  people  ?" 
78 


I'm  goin'  to  get  my  papa,"  said  the  tiny  swordsman, 


SANTA  CLAUS   SURRENDERS 

inquired  the  General,  reining  in  and  gazing 
down  at  them  affectionately. 

"I'm  goin'  to  get  my  papa,"  said  the  tiny 
swordsman,  firmly,  turning  a  sturdy  and 
determined  little  face  up  to  him.  "  My 
mamma's  cryin',  an'  I'm  goin'  to  take  my 
papa  home.  I  ain'  goin'  to  let  the  Yankees 
have  him." 

The  officers  all  broke  into  a  murmur  of 
mingled  admiration  and  amusement. 

"  No,  we  ain'  goin'  let  the  Yankees  have 
our  papa,"  chimed  in  Evelyn,  pushing  her 
tangled  hair  out  of  her  eyes,  and  keeping 
fast  hold  of  Charlie's  hand  for  fear  of  the 
horses  around  her. 

The  General  dismounted. 

"  How  are  you  going  to  help,  my  little 
Semiramis  ? "  he  asked,  stooping  over  her, 
with  smiling  eyes. 

"  I'm  goin'  to  give  'em  my  dolly  if  they 
will  give  me  my  papa,"  she  said,  gravely, 

79 


A  CAPTURED   SANTA  CLAUS 

as  if  she  understood  the  equality  of  the 
exchange. 

"Suppose  you  give  a  kiss  instead?" 
There  was  a  second  of  hesitation,  and  then 
she  put  up  her  little  face,  and  the  old  Gen 
eral  dropped  on  one  knee  in  the  road  and 
lifted  her  in  his  arms,  doll  and  all. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said  to  his  staff,  "  you 
behold  the  future  defenders  of  the  Union." 

The  little  ones  were  coaxed  home,  Charlie 
in  front  of  a  staff-officer,  and  Evelyn  in  front 
of  General  Denby  himself.  And  that  after 
noon,  as  Colonel  Stafford  was  expecting  to 
leave  the  camp  for  Washington  with  a  lot 
of  prisoners,  a  despatch  was  brought  in  to 
General  Denby,  who  smiled  as  he  read  it. 

"  Colonel,"  he  said,  addressing  him,  "  I 
think  I  shall  have  to  continue  your  parole 
a  few  days  longer.  I  have  just  received  in 
formation  that,  by  a  special  cartel  which  I 
have  arranged,  you  are  to  be  exchanged  for 

80 


SANTA  CLAUS   SURRENDERS 

Colonel  McDowell  as  soon  as  he  can  reach 
the  lines  at  this  point  from  Richmond ; 
and  meantime,  as  we  have  but  indifferent 
accommodations  here,  I  shall  have  to  re 
quest  you  to  consider  Holly  Hill  as  your 
place  of  confinement.  Will  you  be  so  kind 
as  to  convey  my  respects  to  Mrs.  Stafford, 
and  to  your  young  hero,  Bob,  and  make 
good  my  word  to  those  two  little  commis 
sioners  of  exchange,  to  whom  I  feel  some 
what  committed  ? "  He  held  out  his  hand. 
"I  wish  you  a  Merry  Christinas  and  a 
Happy  New  Year." 


81 


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DEC  14  183 

9 

1  Ma/63RY 

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, 

JJ  »i,) 

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NUV  J.U  W3 

' 

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GENERAL  LIBRARY  -  U.C.  BERKELEY 


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